Chinaberry Tree Was Used to Hang Heads😱 栴檀（センダン）は晒し首の木😱

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

These are the fruits of Melia azedarach or more commonly known as the chinaberry tree. I've been wanting to take photos of these fruits since they were still green, but they were too high up. (My camera's telephoto zoom lens isn't so good.) Today, however, I found the light yellow fruits hanging low and scattered on the street. I didn't miss that opportunity!!

In Japan, however, chinaberry trees were hated until the Edo period (1603-1867) because of people's terrible perception of the trees deriving from the fact that the trees at the entrances of two prisons in Kyoto were used to hang the heads of criminals during the Heian period (794-1185). The chinaberry tree grows 20 to 40 feet tall. The heads on the trees must have been horrifying😱.

The chinaberry flower means "differences in opinion," i.e., another bad perception of the plant because different opinions are unwelcome in Japan. People in Japan value harmony more than anything, i.e., little tolerance for differences. I have no idea why the tree has come to be perceived like that and can't help but have deep sympathy for it😂.

Fruits of Melia azedarach 栴檀の実

Criminals' heads were hung on chinaberry trees😱
センダンの木には罪人の首が架けられていた😱

The fruits look yummy but poisonous! おいしそうだけど実は有毒！

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栴檀（センダン）です。随分前から何かな？と思っていたのですが、花も実も高過ぎて写真が取れませんでした。（カメラの望遠機能がよくない｡｡｡）ところが昨日、頭上近くにぶら下がっているのを発見！やっと写真を撮れました。

でもセンダン、こんなにかわいい実なのに人気ないようです。平安時代には京都の牢屋の門外にセンダンの木が植えられ、首が架けられていたとのこと😱。花言葉は「意見の相違」です。（日本は違うこと言うと嫌がられる｡｡｡）可哀そうです！

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